my ww story, front page of the daily herald TODAY!!

Inspiring weight loss earns woman a prize
BY LARISSA CHINWAH
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, September 21, 2006

Melissa B**** thought she was doing everything possible to shed unwanted pounds.

But no matter how often the 29-year-old Carpentersville resident worked out and no matter how many Slim Fast shakes she drank for breakfast or Lean Cuisine meals she ate for lunch, she said she could not lose any weight.

Now, more than 18 months after joining Weight Watchers, Bodzioch has lost 42 pounds. Her transformation earned her a second-place prize in the Weight Watchers Inspiring Stories of the Year contest.

The contest, now in its eighth year, draws entries from thousands of men and women across the nation, each with their own unique personal journey to their epiphany - when they realized something needed to change.

Entrants were required to tell their weight-loss story in 150 words or less, describing health improvements and benefits of weight loss, as well as elements of the program that kept them on track. With more than 40,000 applicants from across the country, Bodzioch said she did not expect to be selected.

(COURTESY OF MELISSA B*****) Melissa B*****, 29, who has dropped 42 pounds on the program, was recently named one of 128 second-prize winners in Weight Watchers Inspiring Stories of the Year contest.


(COURTESY OF MELISSA B*****) Melissa B***** weighed 186 pounds before joining Weight Watchers in January 2005.


"I was in my boss's office shrieking at the top of my lungs. I was so excited," Bodzioch said of her reaction to the announcement.

Even those who worked closest with Melissa in helping her lose weight said her selection was surprising.

"I have been a leader for five years and I have never had any of my members win a contest," said Sally South, a leader at the Crystal Lake Weight Watchers center. "It is cool that she won second place. Her story was very inspiring."

Melissa's success did not come easily. Although her weight fluctuated growing up, her battle with weight hit a wall once she stopped developing. She tried the various diets, such as the Zone 6, and worked out vigorously. After eight months of working out with no visible results, Melissa said a friend asked her to write down everything she ate.

Bodzioch said she was consuming fewer than 1,200 calories a day and her body was in starvation mode.

"I told my friend if I am going to write down everything I eat, I might as well be doing Weight Watchers," Melissa said.

That's exactly what she did.

In January 2005, Melissa hesitantly joined the Weight Watchers program for the first time, weighing in at 186 pounds.

Although she said she lost about 2 pounds a week on the program that assigns points to food and sets daily and weekly limits, Melissa said she quit the program and tried to do it alone.

"The meetings were crucial to me," she said. "I went on other diets but I hit a plateau on them. I stalled for eight or nine months."

Having a member drop out is the most frustrating part of the program, South said.

"The one thing I tell people is that there is no quitting, no quitting, no quitting," South said. "I have to keep them coming even when they have had a bad week because the rest of us have probably all had a bad week, too."

Within a year, Melissa rejoined the program. Melissa said she is now well below her weight goal and the benefits are countless.

"I have never been able to run and now I can run three miles without problems," said Melissa, who now weighs 144 pounds. "I can go shopping and not worry about something not fitting. I often take clothing in that is a few sizes too big. It is still amazing to me."

But reaching her goal doesn't mean she is satisfied. "This is a thing for life," she said. "I still do it every day. It is not a one-time fix."